Mobile telephones and wireless communications have advanced significantly over the recent few decades. Today, mobile communication devices, or mobile terminals, represent a significant influence on a vast portion of the world's population. In keeping stride with the advancement and impact of mobile terminals, new wireless systems, devices, protocols, and services are developed and introduced to further the use of these technologies, and consumers continue to demand even more advanced wireless functionality and capabilities. For example, mobile terminals now offer technologies that far surpass simply allowing voice communications. Such technologies include text messaging, multimedia messaging and communications, e-mail, Internet browsing, and access to a wide range of wireless applications and services.
The deployment of advanced high bit-rate mobile networks has opened up new opportunities for delivering a host of services in a way that was not possible with earlier second generation (2G) wireless networks. Recent systems, including third generation (3G) systems, such as those specified for use with the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) wireless standard, enable the delivery of new digital services such as video calls and the playback of multimedia comprised of audio and video. In this regard, the increased bit rates of 3G systems widen the possibilities for providing digital services.
A variety of alternative broadband delivery techniques have been suggested for the increased bit rates for delivery of high quality and high quantity media content on 3G systems. For example, one such IP Datacasting (IPDC) delivery technique is Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB). In this regard, DVB-T (terrestrial), DVB-H (handheld) or DVB-H/IP, DVB-C (cable) and DVB-S (satellite) are variants of the DVB standard. Other examples of broadband data broadcast networks include Japanese Terrestrial Integrated Service Digital Broadcasting (ISDB-T), Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), and Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS), and those networks provided by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). These technologies may be used for real-time consumption by way of reception of broadcast content. Additional broadband delivery techniques include General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and Bluetooth (BT).
The combined use of mobile telecommunications with a broadband delivery technique such as DVB-T has been proposed in the past in order to achieve efficient delivery of digital services to users on the move including multimedia data and interactive services. This combination would take advantage of existing infrastructures in the effort to provide personal communications (already prevalent) and the growing demand for Internet access, together with the expected rise of digital broadcasting, so that users can receive these services with a single device. The combination of mobile telecommunications and broadband delivery techniques provides the possibility of interactive services such as uni-directional and bi-directional services such as audio and video streaming (e.g., TV, radio, etc.), file downloads, and advanced gaming applications, etc. In this regard, many conventional mobile terminals are capable of downloading content for online use (e.g., real-time and near-time streaming audio and/or video), and, more increasingly, also offline use (e.g., storing audio and/or video for subsequent access and presentation by the mobile terminal).
Similarly, computer networks, television networks, and telephony networks are experiencing unprecedented technological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have attempted to address related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Current and future wireline and wireless networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users. The proliferation of local, regional, and global networks such as the Internet has availed a sea of information to society. These networking technologies have expanded to increasingly include wireless and mobile technologies. For example, information available via the Internet can now be downloaded onto mobile wireless units, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, etc. One such technology facilitating the transfer of Internet content to and from wireless devices is the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), which integrates the Internet and other networks with wireless network platforms. Generally, Wireless Application Protocol is a set of protocols that accounts for characteristics and functionality of both Internet standards and standards for wireless services. It is independent of wireless network standards, and is designed as an open standard. Wireless Application Protocol bridges the gap between the wireline Internet paradigm and the wireless domain, to allow wireless device users to enjoy the benefits of the Internet across both platforms.
Second generation wireless service, often referred to as 2G wireless service, is a current wireless service based on circuit-switched technology. In this regard, 2G systems, such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Personal Communications Services (PCS), use digital radio technology for improved quality and a broader range of services over first generation mobile technologies. Third generation wireless service, often referred to as 3G wireless service, refers to a set of digital technologies that promises improvements in capacity, speed and efficiency by deploying new packet-based transmission methodologies between terminals and the network. Users of 3G devices and networks will have access to multimedia services such as video-on-demand, video conferencing, fast web access and file transfer. Existing and future services are, and will continue to be, provided by network service operators who make services and applications available to mobile device users via the network. Current multimedia capable phones with color displays and sufficient computational power and cellular connectivity can provide rich media services for end users. These services may be generally referred to as multimedia audio and visual services such as television or TV programs and episodes, music videos, sports events and programs, comedy programs, movies, news shows and programs, radio shows, etc. However, improvements in transmission and consumption technologies cannot be fully supported by the existing infrastructure for wireless services. In keeping with improvements to the infrastructure for wireless services, accommodations must be made for changes and service methods must be developed to account for implications of improved transmission and consumption technologies.
In order to take advantage of these various types of technologies, and, in particular, to avail a particular mobile terminal of the ability to acquire data for these technologies, a mobile device or terminal may need to be able to communicate with service access points (sAP) which may be virtual service access points, not to be confused with general connection access points (AP). General connection access points provide a mobile terminal a connection to a network. A service access point provides a mobile terminal a connection through or in a wireless network to a particular service. A service access point may be, in essence, a data tunnel or outlet from a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) to a certain service. Frequently, a user wishing to use a particular technology, such as to download media to a mobile terminal, must configure a service access point in the mobile terminal by editing or establishing settings for the service access point. For example, a client application may require a connection to a particular service through a service access point. However, service access point settings vary between operators and service providers. Service access point settings may define, for example, where and how a terminal IP address is allocated, what tunneling mechanism is used between a service access point and a server hosting the particular service being accessed through the service access point, data transfer billing, routing, etc. Thus, a user must configure the correct settings for any desired service access points into the mobile terminal.
Similarly, even after a service access point is properly configured in a mobile terminal, the settings for that service access point may need to be updated from time to time due to changes by the mobile operator or service provider. Additional service access points may need to be configured on the mobile terminal for a user to have the ability to download media and content from other service access points.
Currently, the typical method of configuring, updating and adding service access points is by way of manual configuration where a user inputs service access point settings into a mobile terminal from a command line or through a graphical user interface (GUI). However, manual input by a user can be inaccurate or performed incorrectly. Another typical method of configuring, updating, and adding service access points is by requesting the settings for a service access point via the Internet or by short message service (SMS) messaging. These mechanisms provide the correct service access point settings for a particular service and service access point directly to a user of a mobile terminal, typically by way of a return SMS message. Again, this method requires user interaction with the mobile terminal to correctly configure the service access point. In some applications, a user may still be required to manually input the service access point settings. In other applications, a user may be able to manually accept the returned SMS message service access point settings whereby the mobile terminal will capture the service access point settings in the returned SMS message. Although a requesting method provides less opportunity for mistake or incorrect information, requesting methods continue to rely upon manual interaction for configuring service access point settings. In addition, both of these methods, manual input and requested settings, do not adequately provide a solution to the need of a mobile operator or service provider to update service access point settings.
A typical business environment for accessing and consuming multimedia services in a mobile domain includes one agreement between a consumer or end user of a mobile terminal and the consumer's service or connectivity provider or network operator and another agreement between the consumer and a content provider. In these agreements, the consumer pays for the connection to transmit content. The connection with the service provider may be priced as a flat rate for unlimited data, a flat rate for a specific amount of data with additional costs for data exceeding the flat rate amount of data, or a price per amount of data. Similar models are used in both the mobile domain and in a fixed domain. These connectivity rates may vary depending upon factors such as available coverage, bit rates, quality of service, etc.
The consumer uses the connection from the service provider in order to access content. Content may be offered directly by a content provider that may be the content creator or a content aggregator. A content aggregator and the content creator may be the same company or corporation. Similar to the varying pricing options for connections, content may be purchased from the content provider under a purchase agreement setting forth prices per item, time period, set of content elements, quantity or amount of content, or content type. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that these pricing models, and the connectivity pricing models, are typical examples that have been used with 2G wireless services. These and similar pricing models may be used for 3G wireless services, but due to increased technological advances are not appropriate for various content and services that may be available for 3G wireless services.
Once the connection agreements and content agreements have been established, a consumer is able to receive content for consumption. Typically, the content is delivered from a service delivery platform of the content provider, through a network operator or service provider to the mobile terminal where the content is presented to the consumer by a client application in the mobile terminal. This type of content delivery is not aptly suited to various 3G wireless technologies and associated content and services in part due to increased bandwidth potential for content and services available for 3G technologies.